THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB

57. STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS. The Lord takes advantage of the weakness of man, through the inadequacy of man, to display HIS strength. In the impossible He is manifest as the Almighty. To Paul, the Lord proclaimed, that His strength reached its perfection in the weakness of the human instrument. The power of the Lord is not dependent on the strength of man. Flesh can only hinder the workings of the Lord. Paul learned to live with his physical frailties and to trust fully in the power and glory of Christ. 2 Cor. 12:9 What an attitude we find in Paul. Because of the resulting manifestation of the glory of the Lord those adversities in life, over which we gripe and complain, he welcomed into his life. For, he had learned that when he was weak the power of the Lord was evident. He actually said that he delighted in insults, persecution, hardships and difficulties, all because of the resulting evidence of the strength of Christ is such situations. Surely, it is time that we adopt the same attitude and recognize that we can experience the very same thing in our Spiritual lives. We can be joyous and revel in our infirmities even as Paul did. Why let our problems get us down when we can be UP in Christ.   2 Cor. 12:10

LOSS, BUT NOT LOSS. There are some things that are worth losing particularly so, when they are lost for the Lords sake. The world might highly value the things that Paul lost but in contrast to his gain, they were as nothing. It is utterly impossible to out do the Lord in anything. The benefits reaped, so far out gained the things lost, that it made them appear to be as nothing. Worldly goods, attainments and ambitions Paul laid aside that he might excel in the knowledge of Christ. The man was truly captivated by the Lord Jesus and had great desires and ambitions to fully know and understand Christ. He sought the righteousness that is in Christ which may only be achieved by faith in the Lord. Paul then uttered some of the most profound words to be found in the Bible. That I may know Him. That was what the life of Paul was all about. To really know Christ Jesus in all of His Majesty. Then to know and experience the power of His resurrection in his own life. A change, a release from the beggarly elements of his world and to comprehend the completeness of that new life that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Where he had been all out for the Law at one time, he now was fully determined to know everything and all that was to be known of Christ and the life which Jesus imparts to those who know Him. Jesus suffered for the kingdoms sake. Paul suffered for the same cause but the harvest that they reaped is completely out of this world, it is
eternal and everlasting. Paul also was greatly desirous of being made conformable to the death of Christ. He saw and understood all of its advantages for his life and the one to come. Phil. 3:8-10 Paul was not
sadistic, nor did he have a death wish. Contrary wise, he was seeking for a life that was totally dedicated and surrendered to the Lord Jesus. The same privilege has been and still is in order for the church in its consecration to the Lord. The life in which Christ rules and reigns is a life of great joy and blessing.